Investigators Say They Can’t Determine Cause Of Dangerous Fire In Santa Barbara County

Posted on Monday, January 14, 2013 2:29pm

Santa Barbara County fire investigators say they can’t determine the cause of a blaze on San Marcos Pass that burned a small structure, and set boxes of ammunition on fire, making it tough for firefighters to control.

The fire was discovered at around 9 a.m. Friday, in a small wooden building on the 2000 block of North San Marcos Pass Road. It was burning in the bottom of a canyon, only accessible through a steep narrow access road. The blaze quickly spread to surrounding brush.

Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the blaze, but were hampered by the danger from burning ammunition. They had the blaze controlled in about 45 minutes.

No one was hurt. Because the structure was totally destroyed, investigators say they couldn’t find clues as to what triggered the blaze.